Final Fantasy XI/XIV Servers Back Online March 25

The Final Fantasy XI and XIV servers will be reactivated this week. Japanese power companies requested residents to conserve as much energy as possible because of the recent earthquake and tsunami disaster, which severely damaged the country's resources, and Square Enix acted accordingly.

During downtime, users were still tied to their monthly payments, but Square Enix has confirmed that customers will not be charged for the month of April. The publisher revealed statistics of their office power usage, noting exactly how much they use and how they've cut back to ensure the servers are restored.

The servers use 11.6% of the total power consumed by Square Enix's Tokyo office, but following the shut down of air conditioning and reduced lighting, the studio has achieved more than a 10% reduction in their power output. "With these energy saving measures in place, we will be able to bring our servers back online and restore service to FINAL FANTASY XIV, FINAL FANTASY XI, and PlayOnline on Mar. 25, 2011 4:00 (PDT)," the post explains. "Please be aware, however, that we may once again be required to suspend services in the event that the power situation worsens."

"We at the Square Enix group are trying to act in a proactive manner in order to provide support towards the relief and restoration efforts in the face of this unprecedented disaster while providing reliable service to our customers, and we thank you for your understanding and support," the firm concluded. Their efforts will undoubtedly be appreciated by fans, who gain a full free month of play and get their game back despite the devastating events that have rocked Japan.